Warpainting

"Undertow" was one of the highlights from Warpaint's debut album The Fool, and it still describes and defines their sneakily captivating approach and appeal. Their songs circle around themselves like smoke, creating a seductive haze. On Warpaint, the band gives more shape to that haze without sacrificing any of its delicate beauty, an effect echoed by the layered, mirage-like photos of Chris Cunningham's gorgeous artwork. The album arrives four years after The Fool, during which time the women of Warpaint concentrated on connecting with each other as a band. The results are a group that sounds more cohesive and more adventurous, whether it's on the dub-tinged bassline on "Hi," the lounge-y drums on "Go In," or "Drive"'s bubbly electronic percussion. Similarly, Warpaint's bigger, more polished sound emphasizes that at their best, this band can set a mood like few others. Many of these songs beg to be played by candlelight, particularly the swooning former single "Love Is to Die" and "Biggy," where Theresa Wayman's vocals float above the dense drones of her bandmates. Still, Warpaint is at its best when there's some tension amidst its misty sounds. There's a raw frankness and hunger to the band's sensuality on "Teese" and "CC" (where Wayman purrs "Give me more/I haven't had this before") that gives a much-needed edge to their gossamer music. There's an undeniably darker cast to these songs than on Warpaint's previous releases, even on seemingly uplifting songs like "Feeling Alright," where a poignant melody gives its witchy pop an achingly romantic feel akin to Blonde Redhead. Not all of the band's efforts to give their music more structure work ("Disco//Very"'s shrilly chanted vocals and droning repetition aren't as bold as they could be or as transporting as the rest of the album) but when they do, it makes their music more immediate and more haunting. Expansive and enveloping at the same time, this set of songs puts Warpaint's past and future in perfect balance; one of the best things a band can do on their second album.

The Fool

On The Fool, Warpaint sound surprisingly delicate, given their combative name. The L.A. group’s first full-length picks up where their debut EP Exquisite Corpse left off, serving up darkly feminine songs with instinctive structures that call to mind the explorations of Rings and Telepathe. The Fool’s songs are so impressionistic that it’s easy to hear why some have called them dream pop or shoegaze, but Warpaint’s sound isn’t so easily classified. Some songs resemble icy post-punk experiments, but cooing vocals add a push-pull quality that’s more intriguing than either element on its own. A flower child witchiness seeps into every track, most strikingly on “Majesty,” which begins as an eerie lament and then ignites into a lysergic jam complete with interstellar Rhodes keyboards and electro-toms. Each of The Fool's songs is winding and expansive, but sometimes Warpaint are so subdued that it comes across as meandering. “Set Your Arms Down” and “Composure” blur into dirges, lacking the direction the fittingly tribal “Warpaint” gives to the band’s swirl. The album’s more melodic songs reveal that Warpaint fares better as an experimental indie pop band than as an avant-garde band with hints of pop. They sound confident and engaged on “Undertow,” a beguiling song so subtle that it lives up to its name, while the sweet-yet-ominous folk balladry of “Shadows” and “Baby” suits the band’s vocals perfectly. The Fool has flashes of brilliance, but Warpaint need to play to their strengths consistently.